Story, poem, and photos by Master Naturalist, Doug Jackson
The “batter up!” calls fell silent and ceased,
As “trick or treat,” down the street, are heard tiny ghouls a-cryin’.
The hoots of the owls, the howls of the beasts,
Beckons the witch on her broom, by the moon, to be flyin’.
Name a flying animal. What immediately comes to mind? Perhaps a bird or an insect? The thought of a flying mammal wouldn’t be our first instinct.
Worldwide, there are over 11,000 bird species and well over 1 million insect species. While there are just over 6,000 mammal species.
Would it surprise you to learn that one out of four mammal species can fly?
Let’s be clear, though. One quarter of a class’s species is quite different from one quarter of a class’s population. That said, of the 6,000 plus mammal species, around 1400 are bats.
From the tiny bumble bee bat (weighing 2g or 1/10th of an ounce with a 5-inch wingspan) to the impressive flying fox (weighing 4 pounds with a wingspan of nearly 6 feet), bats are as variable as their habitats and diets.
Contrary to popular belief, bats are neither rodents nor closely related to them. Bats are their own mammal order, Chiroptera – meaning hand wing. In fact, bats are much more closely related to whales and lions than to mice.
There are many other myths about bats that this article will debunk, including the belief that bats are like vampires and suck your blood.
Out of the 1400 or so bat species, only 3 are named as vampire bats. While these 3 species do feed exclusively on animal blood, they do not suck the blood through their fangs.
These Latin American bats have razor sharp teeth that can painlessly cut through the thick hides of sleeping livestock, releasing a trickle of blood which the bats then lap up with their tongues.
Diets of the remaining 99.8% of bat species include nectar, fruit, insects, and fish.
Fruit bats are some of our tropics’ most important pollinators.
Michigan has 9 bat species that grace our night skies. All, if not most, enjoy human blood in their diets. Not to worry. They prefer to eat human blood only in the form of a mosquito – an animal that quite literally and figuratively sucks. Bats can consume some 1000 mosquitos in just one hour. They don’t suck but should be revered and celebrated.
All 9 of Michigan’s bat species are insectivores. Thus, as winter approaches, they either migrate south or stay put to search for suitable hibernacula – places to hibernate.
Most of our bats hibernate in caves or abandoned mine shafts. Some of our bats, such as the endangered Indiana bat, require hibernacula within a specific temperature and humidity range. This significantly limits the number of sites the bats will find, resulting in tens of thousands of them hibernating in one cave alone. This also proportionately increases their vulnerability.
Most bats in Michigan as well as the Midwest and Eastern U.S. are in peril due to an accidentally introduced fungus by humans visiting caves and mines. This fungus can easily be carried into other caves on clothing, if not washed thoroughly before hand.
This fungal disease is known as white-nose syndrome. While the fungus in and of itself is not lethal, it is an irritant. While bats are hibernating, the fungus grows on their snouts and becomes irritating enough to wake them out of their stupor. Upon waking, the bats’ heart rates and energy consumption increase. Since they cannot find food in the winter to replenish their energy, they tragically starve to death.
Little brown bats used to be one of Michigan’s most commonly seen bats throughout the state. Their numbers have been rapidly declining over the past decade to the point where, just last year, they have been added to Michigan’s endangered species list. A sad loss for bats, a win for mosquitoes.
Three other bat species share the endangered and threatened species list in Michigan, the evening bat, the Indiana bat, and the Northern long-eared bat, with more sure to follow.
This may be a source of comfort for those who are annoyed by these blind bats constantly getting caught in their hair – namely no one. Bats use echolocation, a type of SONAR, that they use not only to successfully hunt their prey with but to avoid obtrusive objects such as trees, buildings, and, yes, even Marge Simpson’s hair.
Additionally, bats are not blind either. Most have better night vision than humans.
But bats are filthy and carry all sorts of diseases, right? Wrong. Bats are actually very clean animals, frequently grooming themselves. They are also rather intolerant of most diseases. If a bat were to contract rabies or any other disease it would quickly die. Dogs, fox, skunks, and raccoons are much higher vectors for carrying rabies and other mammal diseases than bats.
Both the big brown bats and little brown bats find manmade structures favorable locations for summer roosts and nurseries. If you notice bats in your building and wish to evict them, it is best to wait until October. This timing gives the bats time to evict themselves, if at least for the young to wean and be mature enough to fly. If the bats’ entrances are sealed too soon, the young bats will be trapped inside and will die there. Another win for mosquitos.
It should go without saying that pesticides should never be used to evict or exterminate bats with. Never employ an exterminator who uses such unethical and environmentally irresponsible tactics.
Collecting bat guano (their poop) can provide good fertilizer for your gardens. If you do so, use a shallow pan or cookie sheet under their roosts. Never use a bucket in the event a baby bat may fall in it. It is nearly impossible for the mother to retrieve her baby from a deep bucket.
I hope I have inspired everyone from the enthusiast to the reluctant with the importance of bat conservation. Native plants and strategic placement of man-made bat housing can help increase bat habitat and provide natural, sustainable insect control for your property.
Bats are a crucial element to Michigan’s ecology and environmental health. We need them. They need us. What do you say? Are you ready to be up to bats?
